Georgia Arms 38 Special 125 gr. JHP+P

[tbeb]

Georgia Arms Shear Power Plus 38 Special 125 gr. JHP+P uses a Gold Dot bullet. Has anyone here tested it for expansion and penetration from a 2 3/4" and/or 4" barrel? (If not for that load then same question for the Remington Golden Saber or Winchester Supreme SXT?)

 

[Clemson]

That is the round that I carry in my S&W 342, and it is the load that I keep in my wife's Model 15 "house gun." It is accurate in both guns, and I really like the Gold Dot bullets.

I have not chronographed the round. I ran a very informal test at the pistol range, however. My 342 was loaded with 148 grain wadcutters. I needed to perforate the bottom of a 55 gal barrel for use as a trash container at the range. Two shots from about 10 feet barely made dents in the drum bottom. I reloaded with the Georgia Arms 125 grain JHP+P's and made two very neat holes from the same distance.

This all proves virtually nothing except that the G.A. stuff is much better than wadcutters. Those folks who read a writer's recommendation years ago to load their .38's with wadcutters for personal defense had better have a good pair of athletic shoes on if they decide to actually shoot someone with the rounds.

Clemson

 

[Jim March]

The Gold Dot 125+P has been tested as loaded by Proload and Speer and generally does very well indeed, even from snubbies...so long as you don't get too crazy with the cloth layers (four layers of demin ?).

As GA has a good rep for putting some heat out, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to carry these.

 

[who me]

I use the .38 spl 125 gr +p, the .357 mag 125 gr, and the 185 gr +p and 230 gr .45 acp from Georgia Arms. Guess I like the gold dot bullet.

 

[RON in PA]

Interesting that over at Ammolab.com they claim that in one & 7/8" snubbies 148 grain wadcutters are the best defense rounds based on penetration in denim covered ballistic gel and low recoil. JHPs don't open up in their testing and while they penetrate well they don't cut as big a hole as the flat nosed wadcutters.

I think that by shooting 55 gal. drums you have demonstrated that jacketed bullets with higher kenetic energy are better at penetrating mild steel than soft lead wadcutters. Does this relate to shooting flesh and blood?

 

[Jim March]

You didn't link to the actual test, and I don't have time to find it...but is ammolabs the ones that decided FOUR layers of denim was a good real-world test?

Maybe if simulating a Chicago winter it is...out here in California, there's nothing at ALL "real world" about it. The only times I see somebody on the street wearing the equivelent of four layers of denim is when it's raining, or they're a bum wearing everything they own instead of carrying it .

The other question is, did the test indicate the velocity achieved? Because a "sloppy gun" can seriously skew the results...with snubbie 38s even 25 - 50fps matters as it can be the difference between expansion or failure.

 

[Jim March]

Another thing: target wadcutters are literally "loaded mild". Some won't break 650fps from a snubby, few will hit 750fps.

I dunno about you, but that alone gives me pause. It's light-duty target ammo for God's sake.

Now handload the stuff to 850 - 900 and sure, now you're talkin'. Load 'em backwards at that speed and you're REALLY singin' my song .

 

[tbeb]

FYI
The short barrel .38 special 4-layer denim tests at ammolab.com showed only 2 bullets that expanded, out of those tested. They were both 125 gr. JHP+P. One Magtech Gold and the other Proload with Gold Dot bullet. (Two other loads with 125 gr. Gold Dot bullet didn't expand--Georgia Arms and Black Hills.) Penetration/expansion in inches were 13.0/.46 and 13.6/.41 respectfully. That said, the founder of ammolab.com recommends the .38 special+P Safestop 148 gr.--wadcutter bullet with a slit in it's face and bullet is seated out from the case--that does 800-850 fps from a 2" barrel.

 

[TN-popo]

Clemson...I too have a 342 and have yet to find a 148gr.WC that doesn't jump crimp, did yours? If not, what brand did you use?

Related question...I have long used GeorgiaArms, but have not tested their 125gr.+P Shear Power Plus Gold Dot in my 342. Have you, or anyone here, experienced "crimp jump" with this round?

Thanks all.

 

[Clemson]

The Georgia Arms 125 grain +P Gold Dot load does not pull bullets in my 342. The wadcutters that I was shooting were my own handloads.

 

[TN-popo]

Thank you sir.

 

[Jim March]

tbeb: I would seriously doubt that Proload is loading theirs much hotter than GA, if they've at all hotter. If the Proload expanded and the GA didn't after one shot each, that's more likely to mean it's all a crapshoot under the given test conditions.

Again, I consider 4 layers of denim excessive.